HELP...struggling with C25K!

bumbalina · July 2010

HELP!!!!
I'm seriously struggling with C25K. I started the programme a week ago and had trouble completing all the running sections and on the third day pulled my inner thigh muscle on the first run cycle then walked the rest of the programme. I started w1d1 all over again today and only managed 4 of the 9 runs. I feel like I'm going to be on week 1 forever!
In my pre-fat life I was a really good runner so I'm now getting really frustrated with myself and my tredmill. Does anyone have any tips they can give, or motivation?

sweet4keeps22 · July 2010

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Getting started with C25K can be rough. Someone pointed me in the direction of this more conservative version of C25K, which has really eased me into the program. Maybe that would be a good option for you as well? At least while your muscle is acting up.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Programs/conservative_program.htm

Good luck!

hroush · July 2010

Sounds like you need to do some stretches before you start your jogging. I would definitely say if you are having trouble moving on, repeat the weeks until you get some of your endurance back. Try week 2 next week and should be easier.

4lafz · July 2010

Try something else and work up to C25K. Good luck!

jlayney · July 2010

I did c25k in january 09 and it took me 13 weeks to complete the 9 week program. after that, i joined a local running group that also had coaches that could help with running form and different workouts. doing the running with a group has made all the difference for me. i just finished my first 15K and am now training to run a half marathon! do not give up, even if you have to repeat week 1 eight times. the point is that you're out there, exercising and trying. as long as you do it, no one can judge you for taking your time. at least you are trying! remember that it is a personal competition that you have going on with yourself-not against everyone else who runs. keep going! keep us posted on your prgress. you can do it!!!!

j'layne

goal30Lori · July 2010

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know that I too am on week 1 of C25K, and it takes my breath away, but I love it. I think I will be repeating this week, and probably EVERY week, at least once, but I am determined to run a 5k when I get through this! I'm going to 'friend' you so we can motivate each other!

Aid_B · July 2010

Hi

I'm starting week 7 this week and I've struggled with injury and other things, like it says above the important thing is hang in there, if you don't succeed straight away keep going and at least your exercising, you will get there in the end.

The good think with the C25K is that you can see actual progress, i struggled with week 1 to run for 60 seconds, and although week 2 is only 30 seconds more it felt like a lifetime, however yesterday i ran for 25 minutes.

If i can do this so can you

Good luck and Don't give up,

kwardklinck · July 2010

It might help if you do a Yoga dvd a few times a week. It stretches your muscles really well and teaches you to control your breathing. With running, the breathing is so important. Only run as fast as you can breathe normally. If your breath is coming too fast or your heart rate is up too high, slow it down.

kwardklinck · July 2010

oops sorry.

Amy154 · July 2010

I was walking, easily, for 30 minutes for a number of weeks before I started C25K. I spent 3 weeks on week one.
I plan on spending at least 3 weeks on week 2---one of those weeks I will be on vacation.

I am also a school teacher and plan on spending 2-3 weeks on week 3 until I am in the groove with school.

I am going slow because I do NOT want to screw this up!!!

Oh, and when I run I 'shuffle' for now---but I do not care!!!

Get walking and I hope you feel better!!

Amy

bumbalina · July 2010

Thanks everyone for the imput, I have taken a bit of info from everyone and come up with a good strategy to tackle this. I think I was expecting too much too soon. Let me know what you think.

this week.... Lots of stretching!
Mon 30 min walk
Tues 30min walk
wed 30min walk
thurs 30min walk
fri 1hr yoga/pilates

next week and continuing for next week for three weeks
Mon Yoga/Pilates
tues C25k w1
wed C25k w1
Thur C25K w1
Frid Yoga/Pilates

Then I'll hopefully move on to w2!! :happy:

I will finish c25k!! :sick: I will defeat my Tredmill!!:devil:

Tobi1013 · July 2010

Thanks everyone for the imput, I have taken a bit of info from everyone and come up with a good strategy to tackle this. I think I was expecting too much too soon. Let me know what you think.

this week.... Lots of stretching!
Mon 30 min walk
Tues 30min walk
wed 30min walk
thurs 30min walk
fri 1hr yoga/pilates

next week and continuing for next week for three weeks
Mon Yoga/Pilates
tues C25k w1
wed C25k w1
Thur C25K w1
Frid Yoga/Pilates

Then I'll hopefully move on to w2!! :happy:

I will finish c25k!! :sick: I will defeat my Tredmill!!:devil:

I just finished week 5 this morning and I can assure you that you WILL get there. It looks like you have a good plan for this week, but I would recommend that you split up your C25K workouts next week. You need to rest your body between those sessions. I would strongly urge you to consider doing C25K on M, W, F with your Yoga/Pilates workout on T and Th. Finally, make certain that you are stretching really well both before and after your C25K workouts. There are some really good stretches on www.coolrunning.com that I have been using religiously and have not had any pain.

Good luck to you!!!!

annecolorgreen · July 2010

There is a book called "Beginning Running" http://www.amazon.com/Runners-World-Complete-Beginning-Running/dp/159486022X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280198829&sr=8-1 and I have found it very helpful. (it was recommended by my running shoe store) There is a 24 week running plan that is VERY gradual and awesome for those of us who are non-athletes currently!

I did a no-boundaries running program last year and actually made it to the 5k and did pretty well. Then I had an accident at work and had to do 6 months of PT and no running. Well...I'm back at it (starting over but that's okay).

Keep going! You can do it!

jlayney · July 2010

i agree with tori. i always have a day of rest between my running days, and i do other stuff to repair my muscles like yoga, weights, or swimming. when i did c25k, i ran on mon, wed, and sat. keep it up!

bumbalina · July 2010

Ok, i'm changing my wednesday c25k to saturday and will now do an optional excercise. My husband suggested I write down a few different options and literally pull them out of a jar on wednesday morning! So heres my "suprise 30 min excersise" list.....

Golf Driving Range
Beach walk with Dog
Swimming ( might leave thisone til summer, its too cold at moment)
Ride to school with kids
Boxing on Wii
Zumba
Headland walk with dog
Kawana lighthouse walk with dog
Noosa national park walk
Skipping
Dance Game on Wii

If you have any other ideas fo my suprise day let me know :laugh:

lyssarowan · July 2010

If it's any consolation, I spent 2 months on week 1 and 3 weeks on week 2. I made it through week 3, but I'm beginning to think I'll never survive week 4. The important thing is just to remember to keep moving and that even if you stay on week 1 you're still ahead of people who never manage to make it off the couch!

alanmonks · July 2010

Just to add to what everyone else has said, it will get easier. I really struggled with week 1, but i did it. I started week 4 this morning and it was tough but i was running strong, and I have never been a good runner. Just keep going, battle through, it is worth it. I cant wait to be able to run for 30 minutes solid. I have never been able to run for longer than 10 minutes.

pinbotchick · July 2010

I finished c25k last winter. I'm glad you changed to every other day for running. Your body does need the day of rest. I'm not sure what speeds you are aiming for but think of slowing down. I walked at 3.0 and ran at 4.5 mph on the treadmill. You can work to increase your speed later - once you are more conditioned to running. Have you thought about running outside?

Other ideas for your jar - bicycle ride, waking DVD (love Leslie Sansone) or kettle bell workout. Good luck.

jendykstra67 · July 2010

Hi!

I'm on week 3, but I repeated the second week. I've found that it helps to walk longer than the program tells you to. I do a ten minute warm up walk instead of five, and I add minutes to the walking between each run if I'm feeling tired. My goal is to run a 5K on October 10. That gives me a little more than ten weeks to do the last seven weeks of c25k. I like knowing that I can repeat some weeks if I need to. And if I don't finish the program before my first 5K, that's ok... I'll walk part of the race if I need to. No matter what happens, I'm still in better shape than I was before I started c25K.

Good luck!!

Jen

Mindful_Trent · July 2010

Maybe it's just me, but I find running/jogging much more bearable outside. I've tried it on a treadmill before and just couldn't do it for very long at all. I've just started C25K as well, and was suprised at how easy it was for me to complete the 1st day - but I was doing it outside, not on a treadmill. Just something you might want to try. I would also agree with the suggestions about stretching beforehand and spacing it out so that you have a day between each day of C25K (so doing it on M-W-F).

dmgaloha · July 2010

Stick to it! This is my second time through the C25k program (the last time was 5 years ago, pre-kids). I ended up running 2 8k races after my first go at it. I just finished Week 3. Follow the advice from the other folks: always have a rest day between runs, and slow down if you find it too hard. I do my runs on a treadmill, and started at 3.0 and 4.5, like pinbotchick. Feel free to come post with us on the 'Couch to 5k Anyone?' thread for support and encouragement.

--> Swimming ( might leave thisone til summer, its too cold at moment)
I have to ask where you live... When exactly does 'summer' arrive there? It's so hot in Canada that I would LOVE to be swimming!

acstein · July 2010

I have found a couple versions of the Couch to 5K. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml that is the program I am using as running is not my forte. Never has been, even when I was doing track. I did the long jump and those types of events. I'm using my husbands soldiers as motivation. I have a bet that I can pass the PT test (which I'm not even in the military) before they can. Week one seemed simple, but week 2 may need to be repeated simply because my heart rate gets too high. I don't want to overload it.

Try not to judge yourself by what you used to be able to do and focus on what you are doing. I know it's easier said than done but that was one of the hardest things for me to realize. I'm 10 years older and about 40 lbs heavier than I was when I played rugby (40 minutes halves of constant running and "abuse") and even then I was out of shape compared to my HS years. I finally got over it and am excited to see improvement, even if it is slower than I used to do or not as much.

hkystar · July 2010

I dont think there is anything wrong with needing to repeat weeks. You are still getting up and getting exercise.

I am on week 5. I found week 1-2 very easy and then week 3 hit and i struggled through week 3 and 4. My knees were always hurting and I just felt achy and sore. I increased my stretching. I now stretch for 5 minutes after the 5 min warmup walk and then for about 5-10 when I finish. When I hit week 5 this week I felt like everything was so much easier.

Good luck and I would say to just keep moving!

bumbalina · July 2010

I'm in Queensland, Australia. Its winter here but it doesn't last long then it gets really hot around September thru to May. This is why I want to loose all this flab, I want to spend all that time at the beach with everyone and not be ashamed to wear a swimsuit.

Melbourne_Mum · July 2013

Wow, this thread is old but I've just completed week 3 and it was really hard. No way can I move on to week 4. Will have to do week 3 again. So glad to hear its common to repeat weeks. I alternate my running (shuffling) days with Curves gym circuit. So far so good. Have very dodgy knees as very overweight but so far they are holding up! If they feel
Sore after a run I ice them. Still going. Really like this program.

Drea_ann · July 2013

I felt the same exact way. I did week one 4 times and I struggled, I am working on week 3 now and running longer is getting easier and easier. You just have to keep trying. Like someone said, even if it takes 8 times, running is so good for your endurance, don't give up.
You can do it!

lilbearzmom · July 2013

Ok, i'm changing my wednesday c25k to saturday and will now do an optional excercise. My husband suggested I write down a few different options and literally pull them out of a jar on wednesday morning! So heres my "suprise 30 min excersise" list.....

Golf Driving Range
Beach walk with Dog
Swimming ( might leave thisone til summer, its too cold at moment)
Ride to school with kids
Boxing on Wii
Zumba
Headland walk with dog
Kawana lighthouse walk with dog
Noosa national park walk
Skipping
Dance Game on Wii

If you have any other ideas fo my suprise day let me know :laugh:

This is the freaking best idea ever! Your husband is a genius. You don't have to tell him that, though! LOL

billsica · July 2013

RUN SLOWER

Also you walk on the beach with your dog this week? If I had beach access, every single one of my runs would be on it.
I hate treadmill running.

Your goal of getting swim suit ready and running does not mesh. Maybe its a case of your goals not meeting your workout routine. Do you enjoy running? If you hate it, whats the point.

TriShamelessly · July 2013

Ok, i'm changing my wednesday c25k to saturday and will now do an optional excercise. My husband suggested I write down a few different options and literally pull them out of a jar on wednesday morning! So heres my "suprise 30 min excersise" list.....

Golf Driving Range
Beach walk with Dog
Swimming ( might leave thisone til summer, its too cold at moment)
Ride to school with kids
Boxing on Wii
Zumba
Headland walk with dog
Kawana lighthouse walk with dog
Noosa national park walk
Skipping
Dance Game on Wii

If you have any other ideas fo my suprise day let me know :laugh:

I love this idea! Good luck with c25k - you will be able to get through it. Took me awhile but I am now running full 10ks as of last week after starting C10K (the longer version) over 5 months ago in order to participate in the triathlons that I am now doing. Best wishes!

kimmianne89 · July 2013

You will get it!
I struggled a lot with week 5, and kept repeating until I could do it.

I run in the countryside, so although there were lots of steep hills etc making it worse, the fact you are actually getting somewhere helps.

sakuragreenlily · July 2013

I finished c25k last winter. I'm glad you changed to every other day for running. Your body does need the day of rest. I'm not sure what speeds you are aiming for but think of slowing down. I walked at 3.0 and ran at 4.5 mph on the treadmill. You can work to increase your speed later - once you are more conditioned to running. Have you thought about running outside?

Other ideas for your jar - bicycle ride, waking DVD (love Leslie Sansone) or kettle bell workout. Good luck.

This is how I did it too. Went through the program working on endurance rather than speed the first few times. Did the full program at 4.5 mph, then at 5.0 mph, and now am doing it again at 6.0 mph. I would NEVER have been able to start out at 6 which is what the program wants you to do if you hope to complete a 5k in 30 minutes.

Slow and steady

HELP...struggling with C25K!

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